With a new team member in tow, Momo now had a epic party of four. Orthon the Orthworm may have been pretty short tempered, but luckily, Momo knew just how to deal with types like those.

"Crush them, Orthon!"

There was definitely a lot of crushing on her mind. In battle, of course. All it took was a quick smacking down, and her Orthworm was able to bulldoze his way to victory against Iono's Mismagius. Momo gave the cameras her best smile and pose, and with that, it was another Gym Badge collected. Her Orthworm bellowed out a victory cry with a roar of… whatever wormy types like him were supposed to sound like, and Momo took that as a sign that it was back to the badges for her.

Roughing it was rough indeed, but Momo found herself departing with more confidence in her skills on the road. Better focus on that for the time being and definitely not anything else.

With Levincia out of the way, Momo's hike through Paldea involved cutting back up through the west side. Past Alti's mountain, past Giacomo's base, all the way to the desert town of Cascarrafa. It took a bit of Asado Desert riding and Porto Marinada haggling before she got to fight for her fourth Gym Badge, but her Orthworm was quick to serve her up a victory against that Kofu guy. Orthon was on a roll, and Momo took that momentum all the way to Medali as well.

"Oh, Momo!" It was about time Nemona came running. "Caught you just as you finished up in here with Larry, huh? Hope you're ready for another fruitful battle!"

Momo could only laugh at Nemona's pumped up energy. "You know what, let's do this! Ahem." She just needed a second to get into character, sneering as she slowly stroked her cheek. "Ohohoha, Nemona! I hope you're ready to face Momo's titan team! And Diego!"

Nemona's grinning expression briefly lit up at that, and she quickly braced her arm for her own retort. "You've met your match, villana Momo!" With a serious look, she waved her arm in front of her face and flipped the green part of her hair. "How'd I do at the pose thing, was I amazing?"

"Yep, yep!" Momo gave her a thumbs up before covering her mouth to resume her devilish laughter. "But you've yet to match my master status! I'll help you work on it later. Winner pays for a meal?"

"You know it!"

The fight raged on, and Momo was ready to show off how powerful her former titans and Diego had gotten. Rocks quaked against rocks, steel sparked against electricity, and crystalline crimsons burned against the bloom of glittering greens. The battle concluded with a flaming flourish that left Diego empowered with a newfound torching melody.

As heated as the battle got, amidst the intensity was the lighthearted laughter and banter that echoed around the streets of Medali. Momo had to admit that Nemona was giving her a run for her money, not that she was planning on deliberately losing her money with a wager like this. She rallied her newly evolved Skeledirge onward, and her adrenaline was rewarded with Diego's harmonious cry landing a lucky blast against Nemona's Meowscarada.

"Whew! Yup, your skills are ripening quick, Momo!" Even with that loss, Nemona still had a delighted smile as she clasped her hands. "Looks like I'm paying for lunch again, is that right?"

"Heck yeah!" Momo pumped her fist in the air, though the thought of food suddenly made her feel funny and she found herself clutching her stomach. "Actually… wait a momo, Nemone. Think I'll pass on that food thing. Just remembered I had to eat a whole bunch for Larry's Gym Test… How about I treat you to lunch instead?"

"You won fair and square, but if you insist!" Nemona grinned, twirling her hair. "Not sure what I'm in the mood for… I was thinking ice cream, but I checked the nearby stall out earlier and my appetite got all distracted when I saw rice balls. Decisions, decisions, am I right?"

Momo giggled at that, and she was quick to put on her usual knowing smirk. "I was thinking a sandwich again, but something more… homemade."

"Oh?" That got Nemona intrigued, and with that hook, Momo was ready to get to work.

One sandwich shouldn't be too hard to make. Momo quickly skipped off to a nearby bench and took out a plate, placing it on her lap as she looked through her backpack for what ingredients she had on her.

"Whoooa, are you going to make it?" Nemona's eyes were wide with curiosity.

"Yep!" Momo proudly nodded, her arm still busy rummaging. "You could say I've learned a thing or two lately!"

"Oooh, how'd you do it?" Nemona continued. "Did you get extra advice from Mr. Saguaro?"

Momo paused for a second. "Yes, but not from him." She had all the ingredients she needed. It was go time.

"Then who taught you?"

"Haaaaaaagh! Hoowah! Whapow!"

Even if the battle was over, Momo started yelling as if she was in the thick of one, with such intense ferocity as if she was desperately trying to power up. All she was doing was slapping slabs of meat and pickles onto a hoagie bun, but she wanted to make sure her efforts came from the heart, and her screams from the gut reflected that. Granted, that did leave onlookers giving her odd looks, but she was far too into the sandwich zone to care about that. She plopped that other sandwich bun down, and it was time to end this.

"And shupah! Checkmate!" Momo fiddled with the sword-shaped pick between her fingers, then hurled it in one flawless swipe to skewer her finished creation. She wiped the sweat off her brow and proudly presented the plate to Nemona. "Whew, and here ya go! One epic Momo sandwich stuffed with… stuff!" It was such an angelic labor of pride that she quickly snapped a pic of it while she could.

She watched as Nemona energetically accepted her new concoction and was quick to munch down on it. As enthusiastic as Momo's hustle was, this was still her first attempt at making something for someone else, and she hoped Nemona wouldn't be as picky as her own Pokémon have been.

"Is it good?" Momo asked with giddy fists. "I'm hoping it's at least better than Ms. Dendra's attempt at cooking."

"Mm, mmm!" Nemona's eyes were telling. "Definitely better than Ms. Dendra's meat meatwich with meat buns! This one actually has bread!"

"Ohohoho… I didn't know she subjected you to that as well, but your praise is greatly appreciated!" Momo rubbed at her nose with a proud smirk. "I'll have you know I learned from the best, of course!"

"Oh, right!" Nemona's eyes lit up with awe once more. "I never thought sandwich making could ever be that intense! You've got to tell me who taught you how to do that!"

"Well! I actually got it from…" As she tried to collect her thoughts, Momo's confidence quickly drooped with her shoulders. His name was on the tip of her tongue, but her thoughts started racing too quick for her to process it. "... the guy from the lighthouse. He's been sending me pointers on how he does it. You remember him, right?"

"Oh! That Arven guy! That Arven guy from the lighthouse!" Nemona's smile was quick to give way to a hardened stare. "Didn't he try to wrest you away in Mesagoza so you could do sandwich stuff instead of getting Gym Badges? I would've battled him to settle things but apparently that's not how arguments work."

Momo still remembered how that three way altercation went on the first day of her Treasure Hunt, though the idea of him wresting her away had her meekly rubbing her sleeve. "Right, that Arven guy." She reiterated her words, struggling to collect her thoughts and instead settled with taking out her phone. "Y-You know, his tips that he's been sending me aren't that bad. The sandwich making ones, I mean."

"Are they?" Nemona calmed her shaking fist. "He wasn't very tough or intense when I battled him. What kind of advice could he possibly have?"

"He… tries. He tries very hard at what he does." Momo's tone was almost defensive as she scrolled through her messages. "His advice is meaningful. Like… 'cry out to the world like nothing's wrong', and 'place down ingredients like you're fighting for your right to live', that kinda stuff."

Nemona's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Momo was worried about whether or not she was going to ask for more details. Thankfully, she just ended bursting into her enthusiastic laughter and gave Momo a hearty jab to the arm.

"Sounds to me that you're learning how to make some interesting rivals, Momo!" Nemona grinned. "Let me know if he's good at battling and all that, I'd love to toss him through the wringer again! Oh, and while you're at it, you still have to properly introduce me to Penny, and any other good friends you might have!"

"Ehehe, yep, good friends…"

"Come on, walk with me!"

Momo normally would've been so excited to go on and on about her admittedly very good friends, because of course she was glad to have made the friends she did. Friends who had trouble making other friends and were varying ages older than her, coincidentally enough. However, as her stories circled back to how she met her team, she started to leave details out. And not in her usual storytelling sense, either.

"Your Orthworm, how did you get it?" Nemona beamed, her lively eyes watching Orthon linger nearby. "I thought your Bombirdier was feisty, but your Orthworm just tanked through my Pawmo's attacks while attacking ferociously to boot! I kinda wanna use mine again now!"

"Uh…" Momo glanced at her Pokémon as she stroked at her hair. Her Orthworm had decided to stray from the path to wriggle towards a mound of dirt to gobble up. "North of Levincia. He was just… poking his head out of the ground, eating the earth. Then I caught him."

"That's it?" Nemona's look briefly faltered. "No epic battle of epic proportions? Where's all the friendship blasts you usually sling around? Are you sure there wasn't some sort of super amazing adventure?"

But there was a super amazing adventure. There was an epic battle with some sick coordinated teamwork, an emotional journey fueled by recovery, and a night with a view to die for. Company, too. It was the kind of adventure that was so exciting and breathtaking… that just dwelling too hard on it would've left Momo breathless.

Momo nodded after a second of hesitation. "Yep, that's it."

The path up north started to get colder after that, and while Momo had her jacket, she wasn't exactly packed for the grasp of Paldea's snow. She and Nemona parted ways there, with one having plans to train in the cold, and the other to prepare for a different type of trek elsewhere. Momo just found herself sighing with relief that she didn't have to think of excuses anymore. Excuses for what, she didn't know. It was about time to fly back to her dorm to get some rest, anyway.

The flight down amidst sundown was a quiet one, and all the while Momo psyched herself up for her next trip out. It was back to her room, back to her own private space, back to her posters, and back to her daydreams of splendiferous encounters, maybe with some certain other things.

And at just such a moment, the sound of a notification blip had her scrambling to her phone. She had sent a picture of the sandwich she made to Arven, and he had just gotten back to her with a message how good it looked. Reading out his praises left Momo giggling with glee, and she spent a good while of the night lying on her bed and catching up on what he's been up to for the past while. He had scoped out the next titan, and Momo whooped to herself at the thought of seeing him for more sandwich time. For Mirage and Mabosstiff's sakes, of course.

With Momo already having her own objective in mind, the two of them discussed a meetup date—day, definitely day, to head out and fight that titan together. The usual stuff. When Arven asked what Momo had been up to lately, her grin only grew as she kept her Gym Badge feats vague. Same followed for her plans to take down the next Team Star base on her radar. Gotta save the tales of her escapades for when she was actually with him, of course, because that helps with the storytelling.

With a satisfied sigh, Momo plopped down onto her pillow and enjoyed the giddy warmth that came with messaging a friend in the shadowy hours of the night. But alas, all good talks about Capsakid difficulties must come to an end, and Arven was the first to message Momo good night before she did the same.

"Good night, Momo."

"Good night Archen! Cacaw cacaw xD"

And even for a good while, Momo found herself giggling and tossing and turning and nigh squealing at the thought of things to come. How could she not? More Gym Leaders to fight, more chances to meet up with Penny, and another cool and epic titan to add to her team.

Thoughts of the adventures to come stayed fresh in her mind, giddy at the opportunity to relay them all to Arven. After that night by the Million Volt Skyline, she made it a mission to make sure she had the best ever stories to tell him. And to do that, she had to have the best ever adventures to base them on, as a good little buddy would do.

Momo sighed a dreamy sigh, yearning to see that display of hopeful emotion again, to earn her way towards that rare and genuine smile of his. For the fulfillment of gratitude, obviously. Maybe when she was done, he would give her a pat on the back and let her know how much of a good job she was doing, and if she was lucky, his hand would stay there for warmth. Maybe his hand would hold her hand. Maybe he'd let her stare, maybe even pull her in for a hug, or maybe even-

Momo blinked. At that moment, in the silence of the night, with her suddenly red hot face, with all the memories she clutched close to her heart, her thoughts were very, very loud. And they all spoke of one name.

"Oh."

So there might have been some other types of crushing on her mind all this time. So her thoughts might have been focusing on a bunch of things about him that made her heart skip and her mood bubbly. So her best dreams might have involved things that made her feel warm and happy, which just so happened to be him. So what? Definitely didn't mean anything. Definitely couldn't become anything. Definitely wasn't something that clung to Momo's drifting departure to drowsiness.

When morning came, the awakening that followed had Momo opening her eyes with the most blissful smile on her face. It was promptly followed by her groaning into her pillow, stuck with emotions she had no idea what to do with. Maybe it was squealing, maybe it was groaning, she couldn't tell.

Okay, maybe she was a little bit enamored—distracted, yep, that's what she was. She had been going to all sorts of places in the past couple of weeks, so that must've been it. Back and forth with the east and west, and having to keep calling flights here and there must've spun her thoughts around and kept her mind topsy turvy. And even if she was feeling that way, she still had her own objectives to fulfill. She didn't want to get in the way of sandwich time by making things between them all weird and super mushy. As if he'd even want that, even.

Dwelling over stuff that left her out of breath left Momo realizing she had cooped herself up in her room for longer than she'd liked. With a few huffs, she clenched her fists and got herself up and ready. No focusing on the fluttering Butterfree within.

There were things to do. She had to focus on those things. The whole point of the Treasure Hunt was to find the… things. She looked at her phone's map and whispered reminders to herself to keep herself focused.

"Get the things. Beat the guys. And whatever I do… do not make things weird."

Step one, soon to be check. Step two, soon to be check. Step three… she was still mentally preparing for that. It took her a bit to remember she was supposed to be tracking down a Team Star base.

Focus was the name of the game here. As lost as she was in her thoughts, her absentmindedness had her getting even more lost when she stumbled into the thicket she was headed. Trees all around her were tagged with vibrant or confusing patterns, and she often found herself tripping over various things. Roots, bushes, and especially small Pokémon like Foongus and Applin.

At least finding herself lost in a different kind of way got Momo in a productive kind of zone. When she finally came across that Team Star camp, she made sure to go with an all out barrage with her Pokémon. Navi leader Atticus rolled out with a Starmobile that was as flashy as it was noxious, with confounding Revavroom fumes to back up his literally dirty fighting. Still, Momo persevered against his sneaky ninja tactics thanks to her observant eye, focused mind, and mainly the privilege of having a strong Steel type by her side.

"Ohohoho, our will is unbeatable, adversary Atticus!"

"Nay, you'll find our corrosive stance truly formidable, fiend!"

"The name's Momo!"

"... thy name is Momo as well?"

Name thing aside, when all was said and done, Momo stood over the competition with her head elevated high and the pitch of her laughter even higher. As Atticus kowtowed to the ground in remorse, Momo helped him up and decided to ask him if he could teach her some of his cool ninja moves sometime. While his face was obscured, his gaze lit up at that, and his dedication to the theatrics had Momo appreciating how idolized he was. The same could be said about the other Team Star bosses she met, actually.

Momo left the base in high spirits, especially so when she got to walk and talk some more with Penny again. She was mainly concerned about what Momo thought of Team Star, which got Momo thinking about how surprisingly chivalrous they were, which she was sure wasn't just an Atticus thing. Penny seemed to have her own different ideas about them, but Momo supposed it was because she had a knack for those more villainous types.

If that successful clobbering and slobbering was anything to go by, Momo giggled at how well she composed herself during all that. Getting engrossed in Atticus' declarations of conflict and justice had her back in the zone, and she thought that perhaps getting lost in the excitement of it all was the right way to go going forward. It kept her steady, kept her going, and she knew her best plans were the ones she made when she had no idea what she was doing. Sometimes not overthinking things and just going for it worked out for her.

That being said, with her to-do list down one more task, she had to muster all the not overthinking she had in her in the coming days. Her trek would lead her east, past Cascarrafa, and back to Asado Desert for something she was afraid of for all the wrong reasons. Sandwich time.

Momo spent the past while preparing herself for this day. The call to adventure and all that was still there, but she was mainly worried about mixing those sentiments with the other squishy and melty ones. Her thoughts were still muddled, and she often found herself glancing at the desert sand that swirled around her. There was an anticipation that lingered, almost as if either or was going to pick up. She continued shuffling ahead, with every step feeling uneasy against the way things seemed to tremble around her.

Step three, don't make anything weird. Couldn't think too hard, couldn't sink too deep, couldn't go too far with her thoughts or emotions. She wanted to get closer, but at the same time, she wanted to pull herself away in case she'd end up driving him away too. But she already agreed to meet him here. She was unusually nervous about messing anything up between them, but at the same time, she didn't want to leave him hanging either.

It wasn't as if she could just not see this journey through with him, right?

"Yo, Momo!"

There he was, appearing like a beacon in the empty orange vastness ahead, calling and waving to her. He looked so full of energy too, carrying a smile that looked all too much like her hopes for adventure. She couldn't turn back when he looked so genuinely hopeful, when the sight of him gave her a sense of clarity that told her to proceed.

She took a deep breath. She needed to remember why she was doing this all in the first place. To focus on the mission for Arven and Mabosstiff's sakes. Her pace picked up with him in sight. Thoughts be darned, she hadn't seen him in person for a while and she was just really happy to see him again.

"Hi, Arveeen!"

It took everything in her to resist the urge to leap into his hopefully welcome arms, but she managed to keep things casual. As they should be.

"You're in a good mood today, little buddy." He reached over to ruffle her hair, and she let him. "Got into some exciting scrapes?"

"Oh, you betcha!" Momo grinned, wondered if she was grinning too hard, and settled for a thumbs up. "I beat all the things and got all the guys!" Her thumb didn't stay very up.

"Uh… sure." Arven chuckled almost hesitatingly. "I'm guessing that's a metaphor for something."

She was screaming on the inside. "Yep, yep!" Momo tried to cover up her flubbed flair with a flip of her hair. "These past few gyms have sure been racking my brain about things, you know how it goes!"

"... sure." Arven rubbed at his neck. "Hardworking as always, aren't you, little buddy? All I did was look into some new recipes and almost get my face burnt off a few times raising a Scovillain."

"Guess now you know what it used to be like for me, grumpy worrywart." Momo grinned with a genuine laugh.

All she had to do was focus on being herself, do what she's always done, and keep Arven company without saying anything weird. Walking and talking with preferably less gawking. At least she still managed to channel all her excitement into filling him in on what she's been doing. Conveniently enough, she found it easy to be her usual self around him.

"... and then she said 'Momo, arigato'! It was like the actual saying, but with my name! It was so cool and epic!"

"You said 'cool and epic' about the Medali Gym Test as well. And the selection of items in Porto Marinada. And when you told me about the time you read up on what Shiny Pokémon were." Arven chuckled with an easy smile as he counted on his fingers. "And you said it when you sent me that picture of your Skeledirge yawning. And when you told me about the trees in Tagtree Thicket."

"But those things were cool and epic! Ooh, that reminds me…" Momo quickly took out her bag and pulled out a handful of things. "I found some funky looking mushrooms in that forest! I've been meaning to ask you if any of these things are edible."

"Er…" Arven's bewildered eyes looked over the weird shapes Momo eagerly presented to him. "That's not edible, that's not edible, and that's a Foongus. Please don't tell me you just bite into whatever you get your hands on when you're hungry."

"Tch." Momo huffed, tossing the bad mushrooms away and watching the Foongus hop off. "No. I know better than to do that." She had to go back to Nurse Miriam more times than she'd like to admit.

Still, as much as Arven remarked on her impulsiveness, his gaze over her was almost soft. There was that worrying look of his again, though as stern as it was, it was the kind that carried a degree of trust, the kind that made her feel both safe and needed. Momo knew that having that level of trust was helpful for fighting together of course, though she found herself hoping she was doing a good job at making Arven feel safe and needed as well. As they trudged the way forward some more, Momo let herself sneak in some stares as Arven exerted himself hiking up those steeper dunes.

As they delved deeper into the sandy expanse, the faint shaking in the ground grew louder by the minute, and in the distance, blunt impacts against rock rang out. Momo found herself flinching as the sounds grew louder, but she kept her eyes peeled for the titan that was making that noise. It definitely helped that Arven stuck by her side, mainly because Momo couldn't imagine taking such an unknown threat like this on her own.

Momo was quick to identify the massive metallic mass steamrolling through the desert ahead. It was shaped like a large wheel, erratically rolling through the sand and repeatedly ramming from one boulder to the next.

"Is that… even a Pokémon?" Her eyes were wide as she barely caught the large thing zip away. From the way it moved and recoiled, it definitely seemed like some sort of bizarre Pokémon, but it wasn't something she had ever seen or heard of. "Looks like some sort of weird looking Donphan to me…"

For once, Arven was speechless. Momo looked to him for guidance, and for a second, the color seemed to drain from his face. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she could've sworn she caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes.

"Arven?" She stepped closer to him, pursing her lip. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, little buddy, nothing's wrong." His eyes darted elsewhere for a second. "Was just… wondering if I've seen that big metal Donphan thing before as well. With the way the ground's been shaking on and off, it's been leaving me uneasy…" He took a deep breath, steeled his gaze, and rolled up his sleeves. "Let's go after it before it brings that rampage somewhere else."

Momo was a bit uncertain with the way he tried to shrug it off, but she decided to trust him. "Okay."

While the big iron wheel continued treading off, Momo had her own big iron lizard to follow it with, one with two wheels for twice the speed. At least, that's how she figured it'd work. As soon as they drew closer to the beast, it almost seemed like it heard them coming and quickly zoomed off the other way. Momo was used to chasing down the titans by now, but she felt like there was something almost fearful with the trumpeting cry the robot Donphan let out. Arven held on tight, Momo held Mirage's handlebars tighter, and it started to seem like she was successfully driving the the ferocious creature into a corner.

In another forceful impact, the robotic titan rammed into a rock wall, teetering and uncurling in the process. Mirage drew back from the sandy debris that rained down, leaving Momo and Arven to watch as the metal sphere of a beast reoriented itself on metal legs and stared down at them with screens for eyes.

Momo gulped as she returned her retreating Miraidon. "That's… definitely not a Donphan."

Arven's tense stare narrowed ahead. "Whatever it is, it's gotten up and is trying to get pumped up with an herb! Time to show that thing what you and me can do, Momo!"

He nodded at her, she nodded back, and they readied their Pokéballs as the titan reared back and roared.

"Orthon, let's crush that thing and bulldoze it flat! Steel the spotlight!"

"Scovillain, time to seize a real spicy victory! This is gonna burn!"

The earth quaked around them, and Momo's heart was pounding more than ever, but she knew that the thrilling tingling through her veins was natural for these kinds of battles. Their Pokémon rushed forward to flank the foe, both equally as fired up as they were.

The big iron giant may have looked tough, but with nowhere left to roll away, Momo had a feeling wearing it down wouldn't be a problem. While it towered over her Orthworm and Arven's Scovillain, it stared back at them with screen eyes that were almost afraid looking. Still, it fought back, stomping its large legs and flailing its trunk around, knocking bits off the cliff and slinging all sorts of debris everywhere.

"Orthon, Bulldoze!"

Momo kept her distance from the battle but still stood close enough to where she could tell what was going on, as long as she squinted. Orthon was tough, literally eating up all the ground attacks the Donphan was stomping out, though the sheer difference in size made it difficult to rock the titan. It was a good thing Arven's Scovillain was there, dealing the brunt of the fiery damage while Orthon drew attention away.

"Scovillain, Fire Fang!"

Amused by the battle unfolding before her, Momo found herself laughing amidst the adrenaline. This time she was causing the diversion while Arven was dishing out all the damage. And with how bright his Scovillain's flames were, he was really good at it. She may have had Gym Badges, former titans, and experience against Team Star, but somehow Arven was catching up to her display of skill. He was definitely a ways away from her mastery of battle posing, but he was definitely improving elsewhere nonetheless.

With how much zeal her backpacked buddy carried in his shouts, it wasn't as if Momo could just not admire him while the battle raged on. His commands were strong, his movements confident, his stare determined, and seeing him like this had a warm fluttering feeling swell up within her. Pride, perhaps.

She had focused her attention solely on him, away from the rocks and sandy clumps being thrown about. That made her go full alert the second she saw said hazardous debris getting closer to him.

"Arven, look out!"

At that second, Arven had barely enough time to look up. At that moment, Momo was already running when she called out to him. She put her all into bolting towards him, going as fast as her legs could take her, and leapt forward like the world was at stake.

With her impact against him, Momo heard Arven's grunt before they both lost their footing. She held on for dear life as they tumbled down the nearby dune. The world briefly spun, and then all fell silent. All she could hear were the rise and fall of their breaths.

"... Momo?"

Momo's eyes shot open, and she quickly realized how close she was to him, especially with the way she wrapped her arms around his side. She hastily pushed herself away, catching her breath and focusing her eyes to the sky as she lay spread out on the sand.

"H-Hey, Arven!" Momo squeaked out, short of breath as she blinked her blurry eyes. She glanced back at how far they stumbled and cleared her throat. "You… you okay there? That biggol' rock almost got you!" She looked to the moderately sized chunk of big old rock that had missed its mark.

"Whew… yeah. Wait." In one instantaneous realization, Arven scrambled to his feet. "Momo! Are you okay?!"

"W-Whuh?"

Before Momo knew it, Arven was standing over her, scooping her up by the waist and planting her back on her feet before she could react. The sudden concerned contact left her rigid and speechless, awkwardly standing there as Arven frantically gazed over her sandy self. He was checking her hair, fixing her glasses, even patting at her jacket while asking if she was unharmed.

"S-Shouldn't I be asking you that?!" Momo flailed her flustered self free, dusting off her sleeves herself. "You were the one who almost went squish!"

As if being transferred in their momentary eye contact, the sheepishness in Momo's stare appeared in Arven's eyes as well.

"Oh, right." Arven's embarrassed gaze fell elsewhere as he worked on patting himself down. He cleared his throat. "So… erm, thanks for that, little buddy. You really saved my bacon back there."

While Momo still felt tingly about being picked up and all that, the gratitude helped her loosen up. "No biggie. I like looking out for you, you know." With a smile at ease, she gave his arm a nudge. "And… thanks for worrying so much about me. Grumpy worrywart."

While they both seemed equally flustered for a moment, the awkwardness shifted into calm, and with that came relief. For a second, Momo felt like she was being stared at, until she quickly realized Arven was peering past her towards the sandy reach.

"Wait, the titan!"

The silence had spread, and with the dust settling, they were quick to scramble back to where their Pokémon were supposed to be fighting.

Past the incline, the looming figure of the robotic Donphan was no longer there. Instead, it had shrunken down, cowering against the wall where Scovillain and Orthon cornered it. While Momo would've liked to revel in her victory, seeing the former titan look as scared as it did had her make a worried break for it. She recalled her Pokémon, with Arven doing the same, and she carefully approached the metal wheel that had curled up and rocked itself in place.

There was no doubt about it. Seeing it up close, there was no way this Pokémon was some regular Donphan. Yet, for as mechanical as it looked, it still quivered in fear like any other scared Pokémon. Despite eyeing how sharp its tusks were, Momo crouched closer. Seeing an unfamiliar robotic Pokémon like this was a scene all too familiar to her. The Pokémon's screen eyes flickered for a moment, glancing at her for only a second before flickering away. Momo's frown was wistful. Was this Pokémon more afraid of her than she was of it?

As the thought crossed her perplexed mind, Mirage emerged from his Pokéball. The Miraidon didn't seem at all shaken by the Donphan, which surprised Momo considering he was prone to retreating around those large and angry titans. Mirage still walked past her, calmly and curiously approaching the scared Pokémon with a gentle snout nudge. The Donphan's eyes flickered, this time fixating on Mirage with what looked to be intrigue.

Words were exchanged, at least, that's what it looked like between the two Pokémon. Robotic Miraidon noises and robotic Donphan noises were more like it. Whatever they were talking about, it seemed to get the Donphan to loosen up, and when they were done, the two Pokémon both looked to Momo with an affirming nod.

"Guess that's my cue." Momo was quick to catch on, and she pulled out a Great Ball. The Iron Donphan went in willingly, and when the ball clicked, Momo gave her happy Miraidon a pat on the head. "Not sure what just happened, but you did great, Mirage. Whew, Titan Pokémon obtained!"

With a triumphant whoop joined by her Miraidon, Momo pumped her first to the skies. Her victory twirl did end up reminding her just how sandy her clothes and hair still were, so she took a moment to finish dusting off her hair and pockets before safely tucking her Pokémon away.

"Not bad, little buddy." Arven chuckled from a distance. "Don't know what you were on about when you said you weren't that good at making buddies. You seem to have a thing for befriending these brutish Pokémon just fine."

"Ehehe…" Momo blushed, giving him a beaming grin all the while. "Only because you did amazing, of course! You and your Scovillain shone so brightly out there to get us this victory!" She channeled all of that enthusiasm into the high five he was offering her.

"... heh… ow." Arven shook his hand for a moment before tucking it behind his head. "Still, I couldn't have finished that fight without you, little buddy. I really owe you for that rock thing."

"Then I guess we're even!"

Momo had a pleased smile on her face as she watched Arven turn away to scope something out. She enjoyed his praise, and just so happened to enjoy praising him as well, mainly to see what kind of reactions she could get out of him. She sneakily stuck to his side, quietly snickering at the way he tried to hide that triumphant, yet meek smile of his. She liked being close and staring at him, studying his face and his mannerisms. So very close.

Ahem.

"There's our cave!" Thankfully, Arven was quick to run ahead before he could notice her. "Let's go, Momo!"

"Cave!" Momo squeaked when she realized how clammy her hands were. "That's great! C-Coming!"

Trying not to make things weird was easier said than done, and with the way the wind seemed to pick up, Momo almost tripped over a Bramblin as she hastily followed Arven into that cave. Sandwich time was always exciting, but sitting down and twiddling her thumbs while she watched Arven prepare all those ingredients left her heart beating way more than it should have. The fact that he was whistling to himself didn't help. Maybe staring at Mirage and his new Donny friend curled up together would help. They were cute too.

The battle may have been over, but Momo's racing emotions sure felt like saying otherwise. She had to do something with this adrenaline other than sit and stare. Otherwise… bad things would definitely happen. With a quiet huff, she mustered her pride, marched on over to the table and steeled herself.

"I want to make these sandwiches with you too!" Momo boldly proclaimed, arms to her sides. "I mean… I've told you how much I've improved at sandwich making, and I'm not letting this chance to show off slip by!"

Arven raised an eyebrow. After a second, he breathed out a smile, passing her an apron from his backpack. "Be my guest, little buddy. I've always wanted to make sandwiches with a good pal."

"Right! Me too!" Momo hoped she wasn't coming off as too flustered. She dutifully put on the apron and kept her eyes on the prize. Which were the sandwiches.

This wasn't so bad. There was nothing like some good ol' sandwich time, and being part of the process was something she always wanted to do. Her enthusiasm for the craft perked up when the time came to get those ingredients stacked, and she made sure to play her part well. Memories of that home economics class resurfaced in her mind with how significant Arven's contribution was, and Momo figured it was her turn to share the part with him. She liked being his little helper.

He got the foodstuffs sliced and diced, and she took what she could for her batches. They both kept a close look to make sure none of the ingredients they placed would fall off. Surprisingly enough, it was a calmer sandwich making process, and things were still going well despite the lack of screaming out to the world.

"Pass me that tomato slice over there, Momo."

"Okie dokie. Can you pass me more of that seasoning, Archen?"

"Sure thing…" Arven scoffed. "Little buddy."

Momo scoffed back. "Grumpy worrywart. Y'know, I've been wondering. Tamatoes and tomatoes. What's the difference between 'em?"

"That's… a long story." He chuckled, stopping to blow a bit of hair out of his face. "Maybe for another time."

It was just quiet instructions and a couple of lighthearted laughs between them. Those were the quieter moments she was used to in these caves, but… it was still nice and exciting. She was told hesitation was the kind of thing that would let ingredient prep go cold, so she just let herself enjoy the moment and kept going, whistling alongside him. Even if she was no good with whistling.

Momo kept to heart how those home ecs classes went. Making sandwiches always felt better with a companion. And with Arven, maybe a friend, too. And maybe even a…

She quickly shook her head. It was sandwich making time, couldn't get ahead of herself by cooking up other kinds of thoughts. No time for mushy, only mushrooms. Still… there was something quite exhilarating about seeing Arven up close and so into the zone of his expertise. His eyes brazen yet poised, brow furrowed but calm, there was a nuance in his moments of certainty that Momo wanted to let herself stay lost in. Not that… Momo was planning on falling behind, obviously.

"Get a loadie of this hoagie!" With Momo's declaration, their hard work paid off in batches.

Four sandwiches were created, as the two of them agreed on dividing the usual work equally. With picks in place, Momo and Arven both extended their arms in a proud and flamboyant flourish. Their extravagance was so vibrant that it seemed like the sandwiches had their own fragrant auras that burst forth as they were presented. Maybe that was just the scent.

Arven was just as ecstatic to see their finished delicacies. "This smell! This sheen! It looks like it'll taste horrible and really really sour, which means it's gotta be good for you!"

"Noooo!" Enthusiasm and triumph reigned in the air to the point where Momo couldn't help but giggle.

Momo passed her sandwiches to Arven, and he passed his sandwiches to her, and the two of them excitedly took to their rock seats, eager to try each other's meals. Momo found herself rubbing her hands together as it was time to dig in, and dig in she did.

"Aaaaaaah, omp~"

"Do you just happen to do that with every sandwich you eat?"

"It tastes better that way, okay?"

"Sure, alright."

There was that familiar crunch of bun and herb alike, though Momo's ravenous appetite initially bit back when that sour flavor kicked in at full force. The taste was strong, but Momo kept going, because she was stronger. Arven wasn't wrong when he said that the herb would perk her right up. It certainly tasted… eye-openingly healthy, that's for sure. At least Mirage seemed be wolfing his helping down as ravenously as usual.

"Hmm…" Arven's eyes were narrowed from where he sat, likely meticulous in thought. "That's a strong flavor, alright." His stare landed on Momo. "What do you think? Good sammich? I think the taste is… interesting."

"The feeling is mutual…" Momo almost choked as she said that, though she tried to sell it off as a scuffed giggle. "How's it feel to get a taste of my improved sammich making?"

That got a smile out of him. "The ingredients may have been mine, but your choices in ingredients flow really well! Given what flavors we're dealing with, of course. Other than that, your stacking was solid, centering was done really well, and your pick placement was almost dead center, which is good stuff."

"Yes! Sammich success!" Momo pumped a giggly fist. She had no idea what most of those fancy sounding points meant, but she just found herself really happy to hear him say that she did things right. And if his praise wasn't reward enough, she noticed he was still staring at her. Was… she supposed to be staring back?

"You're still a messy eater, though." Arven smiled knowingly, his voice easing into gentility. He got up from his seat, making his way towards her. "I'll get that for you real quick."

And what happened next did happen really quickly. He took out a handkerchief. He carefully approached her. His hand was on her cheek, his eyes were gentle, his touch just a nudge away from her lip. And then he was gone.

"That should do it."

Arven chuckled as he walked all the way back to his seat. Momo would've chuckled alongside him, but she found herself too out of breath to do that. His touch left her face feeling very, very warm. Even if the brief moment of contact was behind a napkin, she felt that fleeting urge to lean into it while it lasted. But now that the moment was gone, all she could do with her fluttering squealing urges were to muffle them somehow. Nothing a mouthful of sour sandwich couldn't fix.

"Whoa, hey, you're quick to get back to digging in." Arven's surprise was still easily heard. "I-I hope you're not scarfing that down too quickly. Do you want me to wipe your face again for you?"

Yes please. "N-No thanks." Momo gulped hard, quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, and extended a shaky thumbs up his way. "Good sammich."

Her stomach gurgled, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her rapidly beating heart or if it was because she was eating too fast. Whatever the case, she seemed to have enough of the lip-puckering sour stuff, so she wrapped the sandwich up and quickly tucked it into her bag before Arven could notice.

His attention was elsewhere, thankfully. Off towards Mirage, who had heartily finished scarfing down his share.

"I guess it only makes sense your Pokémon would share your… unstoppable appetite." Arven's smile grew as his gaze trailed lower. "Oh ho ho! Not to say my own Mabosstiff is far behind! My best bud's starting to get a proper appetite now!"

There was that ecstatic smile again as he leaned down to pet Mabosstiff. And was that his attempt at her laugh? Momo felt her heart soften, though as she felt her own smile coming up, she went over to Mirage to give him a good petting as well. While she did, there was a sneer-like stare on the Miraidon's face. One that was directed at her, then at Arven, then back at her.

Momo raised an eyebrow when she noticed Mirage's narrowed eyes. "What? What's that look for?"

Mirage paused, rolled his eyes, and huffed through his nose. "Speech functions temporarily restored," his robotic voice spoke. "Gliding functions restored… allowing me to soar through the air… now excuse me while I bring these sore joints back to sleep."

Mirage's voice fizzled off as he licked his lips and turned away, and all the while Momo was left stunned at his words. While her awe was brief, it left her shocked when Mirage's long tail just so happened to briefly snag her ankle. Momo teetered, flailing her arms for balance and failing, and ended up catching her fall by leaning onto Arven's side.

"Uh… hi." A flustered Momo pushed herself off his shoulder. "Just wanted to see how the dog was doing. Hi doggy."

Momo crouched down to pet Mabosstiff's furry head. Mabosstiff glanced at her, licked his nose, and went back to his sandwich.

"He's still eating heartily, that's for sure." Arven nodded, taking a moment to glance elsewhere. "So… how's the big grumpy dragon?"

Momo smirked up at him. "Making good sandwiches, I know that much."

"Hardy har." Arven shook his head with a mock sigh. "I'll take that as a compliment then, you scamp."

Momo giggled. She couldn't help herself from feeling so giggly when he reached over to playfully tousle her hair. With a tender heart, her eyes fell on Mabosstiff, then towards her sleeping Miraidon. Mirage was resting as soundly as usual, though this time he had a companion curled up by his side, Donny. It was surprising, seeing Mirage be fast friends with someone so formerly formidable. Combined with the not so eloquent way he spoke to her earlier, Momo wondered if rubbing her eyes would wake her up from something.

"Mirage seems to be recovering… well enough, at least." Momo had an almost proud smile on her face as she recalled her Miraidon's other sleepy nights.

"Didn't expect such a brute to make friends with other… iron hide Pokémon like him as well." Arven paused for a second before crossing his arms. "Still… doesn't look like he's anywhere close to returning to his battle form. Seems healthy enough physically, isn't he?"

Momo nodded, taking a second to think about it as well. "He's still as lively as ever when it comes to giving me a ride or gobbling down grub. I've just accepted that maybe his inability to battle is one of his personal quirks. Like… the way he ends up kinda disoriented whenever I put any shiny or sparkly objects I find close to his eyes. Or the way he likes to lick people despite… being too robotic to have an actual tongue. Mirage is cool like that."

Arven's frown still seemed insistent on answers. After a moment, with his brow furrowed, he continued. "Do you think… he's got some kind of mental block that's leaving him too shaken up to battle?"

Momo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Arven's look was worried now, though when Momo caught him glancing at her, his eyes drifted elsewhere. "I wouldn't really know anything about it, I've just read about it in books before… A kind of mental scar." He rubbed at his neck. "Like psychological trauma, you know? I think that's what you call it. The kind that comes from terrifying experiences."

Momo stroked her chin. "Well… now that I think about it, there were times where Mirage was too scared to be out, especially around titans. I thought maybe he just didn't like 'em, but he's been getting along with Alti, Brawn, Orthon, and especially Donny well enough. Maybe he's getting better… I hope."

As cool as the idea of having a powerful battle ready Miraidon was, Momo still felt a strong feeling of pride in her heart seeing him sleep so peacefully. Momo saw the sleeping Iron Donphan as well, then found herself wondering why Donny seemed scared to fight too. Did something happen with robot Pokémon like Mirage, wherever they came from?

She felt a pat on her back, and she was greeted by that rare smile of his.

His eyes were tender and reassuring. "Don't worry, Momo. I'm sure both… Mirage and Mabosstiff will make a full recovery soon enough. We didn't work this hard for nothing, after all."

"Aww." Momo smiled at him, with all the reasons to smile, her voice soft. "You got his name right, Arvie."

"Only for the times you've gotten mine right, Momo." Arven paused, though his gentle stare lingered as his smile shifted slightly. "I'd… still say you got my name wrong, but… I don't mind as much now."

Momo's stare was at ease, even if she wanted to snicker for vehicle-related reasons. "That's a go on Arvie then, Arvie."

His arm was almost around her, and in that brief moment, Momo's eyes were fixated on his. The urge to lean closer was there, maybe against his shoulder, but he got up after that. No biggie, she was wanting to see how Mabosstiff was doing as well.

She followed his expectant gaze, where Mabosstiff shifted from his empty plate to stare at the both of them. Momo joined Arven's side, watching with excited breaths as she wondered what the dog's next step in healing would be like. If the herbs let him open his eyes and woof, a full recovery would take no time, surely.

A silent second passed as Mabosstiff placed his paws on the ground. He had tried to prop himself up before, maybe this time he would finally stand. His shaky limbs tried to straighten his heavy self up, and then… a whine. A whine and a stumble as Mabosstiff stumbled back to his helpless lying form.

Momo's expression fell. "It… didn't work?"

She was just as worried to see how Arven would react. All at once, she could see the way the color disappeared from his face, she could hear the way his breathing hastened all of a sudden, and she felt the urge to try and ease his worries somehow. His eyes briefly fell on her, and he noticeably mustered a smile ahead.

"Uh… hey, bud, no pressure." He slowly placed a hand on Mabosstiff's trembling form. "Not like it's fair to expect every kind of Herba Mystica to have some huge effect, right? And it's not like the effect has to be immediate, either."

Momo heard Mabosstiff whine, saw Arven's shoulders droop, and found herself reaching for his lowered hand. "Arven…" There was more she wished she could do, wished she could say, but she struggled to piece the sincerity together.

Arven paused at the gesture, let out a breath, and kept his eyes low. "Hey… it's okay, Mabosstiff. Don't worry. Momo and I are gonna make sure you're right as rain. We've got one more herb to go… and I bet it's the best of them all. It's… it's just gotta be."

"It will be." Momo kept her own reassuring smile up. Arven didn't object to her gesture, so she let herself clutch his troubled hand ever tighter. "I'll see this through with you, and we'll make some real miracles happen. You and me, together."

Mabosstiff looked up and woofed once more, almost affirming in his stare, and with that, Arven took out a Pokéball. With his Pokémon recalled, his expression stiffened as he slowly turned to face Momo.

"You and me… together. And I'm glad you're here for this." Arven's eyes faltered, but he eased into a smile. Momo felt a gentle brushing touch over her fingers. "Looks like all that's left to do is try and set sail for that fifth herb, but I hear it'll be the toughest trip of all."

"Don't sweat it." Momo's determined gaze grew with her grin. "I still have a fixer upper of a Pokémon team, but I'll still be up for anything. With how great we are, we can make anything happen!"

Any form of uncertainty seemed to dwindle between them, and it was as if Momo sparked the light in Arven's eyes once more. His expression perked up, as did his tone.

"Alright, Momo!" Arven whooped with an echo, standing back up. "The next stop on our little herb hunt should be the last! But we can't lose steam until we're done! Let's keep up our momentum! Here! We! Go!"

His determination had flared up so suddenly that he jumped as he yelled, and without a second thought, Momo's giddiness picked up as she cheered and skipped alongside him as well.

"Heck yeah, here we go!"

Reaching for the sky felt all too good, and Momo was absolutely loving it. Though, it was a fleeting moment that left them both feeling flustered as their echoed excitement reached each other in a shared realization.

"So… yeah." Arven cleared his throat, settled down, and made his way back to the table. "We'd better clean up and set out. I hear rough sandstorms tend to kick up around these parts."

Momo giggled, her excited smile still resting on her face as she kept close to his side. "I've weathered tougher weather before, whether you like it or not."

Arven chuckled for a second before letting out an incredulous sigh. "Love the gutsiness, little buddy. I just want to make sure that attitude doesn't leave you gutted. A lil' thing like you would get blown away if we stay here for much longer."

"Little?" Momo stomped in protest. "Come on, I'm not that short. Aren't you just… two years my senior?"

Arven raised an eyebrow. "Pretty much."

"Right!" Momo peeped. "And… my sweet sixteen is coming up, so I still have a good while to keep growing! I might even be taller than you someday! And then you'd have to call me your big buddy, maybe!"

"Is that right?" Arven's smile was slightly curious. "When's your birthday, anyhow?"

"Oh, you know…" Momo felt a sheepish tinge on her face, her hand batting at the hair touching her cheek. "It's just the day that everyone busies themselves counting down to. Can't miss it… though everyone else does because of a certain other special day. No biggie."

"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind then," Arven added with a playful hair tousle. "For now, we'd better get a move on. If the weather gets too bad, we'll have to stay here." Arven put his hands on his hips and looked around. "You wouldn't want to stay cooped up in a musty place like this with me, would you? You're too peppy for that, you pepper."

"True that." Momo paused as the words came out. She absolutely would want to stay cooped up, but she couldn't say that. "You're the one who smells like pepper, so you're the pepper, you… pepper."

Maybe it was the sour sandwich taste talking. Not that the sandwich or being around him were unpleasant.

As Momo helped him sort out his supplies and put aside the messes she made, her thoughts still dwelled on the way she tried glancing his direction every so often. At that point, there was no denying how much he lived rent free in her thoughts. Arven didn't come off as the smiliest person, but Momo looked forward to doing her best to draw that joy out of him. She wasn't exactly trying to win him over or anything, there was still that worry about whether or not he'd like her that much for who she is. She just liked seeing him smile and feeling the Butterfree.

Still, she remembered how fired up Arven was when those times were just right. A rare triumph. A rare emotion. A rare touching moment. Those were the memories Momo lived for, the kind that got her heart racing and her cheeks flaring, and even if she found herself flustered often, she knew she wanted to kindle his hope the best she could. Knowing all too much about what he had gone through, she knew he would need some well deserved kindness.

It always was a wonder how all that stuff fit so snugly in Arven's backpack, but before Momo could wonder how that worked, the entire table was finally tucked away. This was usually the part where she'd want sandwich time to last a little longer, but this time she was alright with splitting up before any bad weather could hit. She needed to get all properly trained up for that final titan after all, as well as a moment to catch her breath. Couldn't let her emotions get the better of her, right?

"Guess that's that." Arven dusted his hands off. There was that smile again. "Good job, little buddy."

Oh, to heck with it.

He lifted a palm, offering her a high five. Momo stepped closer, and with a heightened feeling of pride alongside a swelling in her heart, she had her own plans. Instead of returning the gesture, she committed to surprising him with a full-on hug, throwing her arms around him.

"Mmmm…" It felt good, having her arms embracing him like this. Tender. Warm. Hugs were always nice, and Momo almost let out a relaxed sigh.

"Momo?"

A quick look at Arven's widened eyes snapped her back to her senses and her flustered self.

"Oh, Arven…" Momo awkwardly shuffled back. "I just… felt like you needed a hug. Deserved one, I mean." She looked up at him with a sincere smile. "Have I ever told you that you've also been doing a good job? Because you have. That's why… hug." The seconds of silence urged her to take another few steps back.

Arven's expression was quick to calm, and for a second it looked like his eyes sheepishly darted elsewhere as well. "It's okay, Momo." His hand slowly glided over her shoulder as he nodded. "I… actually liked it." His soft grin grew ever so slightly as he looked at her.

The blossoming smile on Momo's face was quick to return with Arven's. "Oh, okay."

With a delighted lurch, she hugged him with a bit more enthusiasm, and while Arven was surprised again, he returned the embrace. Nestling against his shoulder had Momo resisting the urge to squeal, and she wondered if he was hugging her tighter than last time, many caves ago. Whatever the case, Momo made sure to enjoy it all, letting all her gratitude and pride and all the other good stuff she felt show itself in her gesture. She was relishing the moment, feeling all the fluttering glee at the thought of a smile she knew was there.

"It's going to be okay, Arven." She made sure to reassure him with the best of her heart.

"Thanks, little buddy." His engulfing presence was stable and comforting.

"Pleasure's all mine, grumpy worrywart." Momo kept her arms curled around him with all her caring might.

Momo often found herself worrying about whether or not caring too much about certain stuff would make things awkward with other people. Yet, this time, she felt okay about it. She still had to resist telling Arven how much she loved seeing him jump with joy, how his gentle voice made her heartbeat hasten, how much she's tried glancing beneath that mysterious fringe of his, but she was still very happy to be by his side regardless.

It wasn't as if she'd know if he'd want that kind of attention from her, anyway. Not without risking making things awkward between them. And that was fine. This moment, a good, nice hug between friends, was great too. She was fine with looking out for him and relishing the time they had while she could.

"... you're still sandy, little buddy."

"And I don't regret a thing."